Director of the Design and Planning Assistance Center

The Department of Architecture at the University of New Mexico is currently accepting applications for a Director of the Design and Planning Assistance Center (DPAC). This position is a full-time, tenured position at the rank of Professor. The position is a nine-month faculty appointment (mid-August to mid-May each academic year) beginning in August of 2026 located in Albuquerque, NM. The full-time (1.0 FTE) appointment with tenure will consist of 0.5 FTE as faculty in Architecture and 0.5 FTE as Director of DPAC. If the professor decides to step down as director, they would return to 1.0 FTE in Architecture with a full teaching load.

The position
The Department of Architecture welcomes candidates with expertise in community engaged design to serve as the Director of the Design and Planning Assistance Center (DPAC). This center, housed in the School of Architecture and Planning, frequently collaborates with the Department of Landscape Architecture, and the Department of Community and Regional Planning.

The successful candidate will have the experience and knowledge to promote and expand the discourse on building professional support across disciplines and in diverse communities. They will demonstrate commitment to community-based and community-driven processes. They will teach Design studios, and seminars at the graduate and undergraduate levels. A design studio focused on a DPAC project is typically offered once per year. The candidate will also serve on department and school committees and participate in other activities, such as curriculum development. The successful candidate will demonstrate a track record of excellence in design research or research-based practice. Areas of expertise may include knowledge of resilience against impacts of climate change, indigenous knowledge systems, innovative methods of community engagement, historic preservation, design/build, and other methodologies. Our school thrives when our faculty broadens our perspectives and brings new conversations to our community.

Required qualifications
–Terminal degree in Architecture, including a Master of Architecture degree or equivalent graduate professional degree in Architecture, or a doctorate/PhD in Architecture.
–Full professor or associate professor with experience commensurate with that of a full professor.
–Academic administrative experience.
–Knowledge about academic subfields of physical planning, design, land use, or the built environment (broadly defined).

Preferred qualifications
–Peer recognized achievements in academic and professional realms, including design excellence demonstrated with national and/or international recognition.
–Demonstration of outstanding achievement in teaching in higher education as well as practice and/or research. 
–Specialization within the field of architecture or a related discipline, demonstrated with a PhD, research, and/or significant contributions to a field.
–Knowledge of, and experience in, building professional support across disciplines and in diverse communities.
–Demonstrated record of community engaged work.
–Architectural, Landscape Architecture, or Planning Professional Licensure.
–Demonstrated commitment to cultivate an understanding of the rich and varied cultures of New Mexico and to the success of the university’s mission to serve local and global communities. 

The Design and Planning Assistance Center (DPAC)
DPAC was founded at the UNM School of Architecture & Planning (SA+P) in 1969, as part of a national community design movement that linked university design programs and design practitioners with communities in need. Today, DPAC is the second oldest, continuously operating community design center based in a public university. Throughout its history, DPAC has served hundreds of communities—large and small—in every county of New Mexico.

The mission of DPAC is to deliver design and planning assistance to communities throughout the state of New Mexico and the Southwest region through community-engaged learning and scholarship.

The School of Architecture + Planning
UNM Architecture teaches and inspires architects to respond critically to the urgencies of the present and the promises of a more sustainable and equitable future. The department supports the work of our award-winning faculty, students, and scholars to investigate the architectural systems and social forces that define sustainable built environments at the highest levels of academia and practice. UNM Architecture strives to be a model of radically accessible and affordable public architectural education. The Department of Architecture is housed in the award-winning George Pearl Hall, designed by architect Antoine Predock, along with the departments of Landscape Architecture and Community and Regional Planning. The spacious facilities have the latest design and fabrication tools, including various methods of digital fabrication and other modes of making. The Department of Architecture offers a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, a NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture, and non-professional Master of Science in Architecture degrees.

The University of New Mexico
UNM is New Mexico’s flagship research institution, is the largest university in the state and is categorized as a Research 1 / RU/VH Research University (very high research activity) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. A university with a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities represented among the faculty, staff, and students, it is also a

Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as defined by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities. The University of New Mexico focuses on making university education accessible: the Opportunity Scholarship covers 100 percent of undergraduate base tuition and fees for New Mexico residents that maintain full-time enrollment.

Application requirements
–A one-page Letter of Interest.
–A Curriculum Vitae
–A statement, no more than three pages, addressing: scholarly achievements; and experience and approach to undergraduate and graduate education in Architecture
–A statement, no more than two pages, describing administrative approach and experience.
–Two examples of scholarship.
–A portfolio of design, teaching, and/or community engaged work; and
–Contact information (including addresses, telephone numbers, and emails) for four References.
–Short-listed candidates may be asked to submit additional materials.

To submit an application, please visit website and reference Requisition #35080.  For best consideration, please submit before January 9, 2026. The position will remain open until filled.  Please direct any questions to the search committee chair, Professor Chris T Cornelius (ccornelius@unm.edu).

The University of New Mexico is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educator.